A chef who trained at one of London’s most famous kitchens is taking on a new challenge - reviving a garden centre cafe. Martin Spicer hopes “doing things differently” will help his new Rose Garden Café in Layham Garden Centre, near Canterbury, thrive. Previous owners opened The Potting Shed Cafe at the Staple site in November but soon closed to focus on other ventures .
Trained at The Savoy Hotel, one of London’s most challenging and luxurious kitchens, Mr Spicer will use local produce in his new seasonal “trendy menu” - including £11 halloumi toasties - with alcoholic drinks in the pipeline. “We’re doing these incredible avocado, halloumi and spinach toasties where we also include homemade chilli jam,” he said. “To make it work in this industry you need to move with the times so we do things differently here - we’re a little bit trendy.
“We do various delicious main meals here, we make all our own cakes and scones - that’s a real pulling point, we also have a specials board. “I’ve been in catering nearly 50 years, a chef all my life, I have trust customers will return here. “We use the local baker and butcher, source local milk and cheese.
I employ quite a few local people, so it’s all good.” The 65-year-old headed up numerous UK hotel kitchens, including opening Ashford International’s during the 1990s, when the railway station was rebranded. “It was so busy back then and, of course, things change, so with any catering business yo.